OLYMPIA - A Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) crew normally
tasked with removing invasive plant species has removed more than 9,000 pounds
of marine debris from Willapa Bay beaches in southwest Washington.

DNR crew supervisor Todd Brownlee said the special month-long beach cleanup
campaign was “extremely successful.” Much of the debris consisted of Styrofoam
and plastic water bottles as well as discarded items like rugs and tires.

“We filled three 20-yard dumpers and had two truckloads of overflow to haul
to the dump, as well as 30 to 35 contractor bags of debris,” Brownlee said,
adding the crew collected 9,380 pounds of marine debris.

Washington saw a spike in amounts of marine debris on its coastal beaches in
June 2012, some resulting from the March 11, 2011, tsunami that devastated
Japan. The tragedy claimed nearly 16,000 lives, injured 6,000 people, and
destroyed or damaged countless buildings.

The tsunami also swept 5 million tons of debris into the Pacific Ocean. While
70 percent of the debris sank near Japan’s shore, the remainder dispersed in the
northern Pacific Ocean. Some of it has made its way to U.S. and Canadian shores
– including Washington.

The origin of the debris collected along Willapa Bay cannot be positively
identified since items from many parts of the Pacific Rim, including buoys and
consumer plastics, regularly wash up on Washington beaches. None of the items
had an individual or company name, serial number or other identifying
information.

Brownlee said the four-person crew found marine debris to be especially
concentrated at Rhodesia Beach, Wilson Point and Bay Center, located on the
bay’s eastern shoreline.

DNR plans to use its crew in spring 2013 to check for additional marine
debris on Willapa Bay beaches before the crew returns to eradicating non-native
spartina cordgrass that has invaded Willapa Bay’s intertidal waters and salt
marshes.

After the spike in marine debris in June, the quantity washing ashore has
decreased significantly. However, winter weather and ocean current patterns
typically wash more marine debris ashore than summertime conditions, including
potential items from the March 11, 2011, Japan tsunami.

No state, federal or local entity is officially tasked with removing
nonhazardous debris from coastal beaches.

The Washington State Marine Debris Task Force – a group of state agencies led
by the state Military Department’s Emergency Management Division – has developed
a state plan for responding to marine debris that may cross the Pacific Ocean
and reach our shores from the March 11, 2011, Japan tsunami.

Gov. Chris Gregoire established the task force to coordinate state, federal
and local activities to monitor and respond appropriately to marine debris along
the Washington coast. The task force collaborated with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop the plan.

The plan is designed to address both high-impact types of debris, such a
large dock or debris containing a hazardous substance such as oil, as well as a
potential steady influx of small nonhazardous debris.

More about marine debris, including potential tsunami debris

Anyone encountering oil or hazardous materials like fuel tanks, gas
cylinders, chemical totes and other containers with unknown fluids on Washington
beaches should immediately report it by calling 1-855-WACOAST (1-855-922-6278)
and pressing “1.”

The marine debris task force has established a marine debris information
email listserv for Washington residents and coastal visitors. People can join by
going to Ecology’s listserv page at
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/maillist.html and choosing “marine/tsunami debris.”

NOAA is actively collecting information about tsunami debris and asks the
public to report debris sightings to
DisasterDebris@noaa.gov. Please include the time, date, location and, if
possible, photos in such reports.

Don’t burn driftwood. Salt residue from ocean waters stays in pores of the
wood, even after it’s dry. According to Ecology, when burned the chlorine reacts
with the wood to form toxic compounds called dioxins that are released in the
smoke. Such compounds can affect the immune system. If a beach fire is
permitted, bring seasoned, non-driftwood, and enjoy.

State Parks asks people who want to clean debris from beaches to focus on
small, non-natural items such as Styrofoam and plastic. Leave wood and kelp
because these are an important part of the beach ecosystem. Stripping the beach
of its driftwood depletes needed coastal habitat.

People who want to keep abreast of new marine debris
developments in Washington state can sign up for an information
listserv established by the state. To sign up, go to Ecology's
Listserv page
and choose “marine/tsunami debris.”